Chemical incidents can be caused by the breach in the wall of the tank containing the chemical. The most common container breaches are punctures in the barrel of the tank caused by incursion by one of the tines of a forklift. Where the tank contains a reactive liquid, the puncture of the tank may cause a violent reaction having catastrophic consequences. When the tank contains a flammable liquid or gas, such as propane, puncture by tine incursion may cause detonation of the flammable liquid. After the fact studies of such detonations show that a fully laden tank can travel upwards of a mile from the point of impact. Even without detonation, puncture of the tank can cause the aerosol dispersion of the contents over a wide area. Where hazardous materials can cause injury to persons, animals, and vegetation, the wide dispersion of the materials may be catastrophic. Winds may further disperse the contents over a far broader area. Where the winds carry the hazardous materials to taint water, the tainted water poses a further danger.
One such incident occurred in Australia on Feb. 8, 2002. Hundreds of fish were killed in an area extending from the Georges River and further along into Botany Bay as the result of a fork lift puncture of a tank containing pesticide. The tine of the forklift punctured the tank at a depot in the nearby suburb of Wetherill. Water carried the pesticide from the tank into the Georges River where the pesticide killed the fish. As the tainted water ran down the river to Botany Bay, oysters in the wild and in farms at the Georges delta were decimated.
The art is missing a framework for carrying a tank that will prevent tank puncture by forklift tines.